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Friday, December 4, 2015

Homeopathy for common skin infections in infants

Homeopathy for common skin infections in infants

The first month babies require lot of adaptation by the baby as well as the parents. After spending 9
months in a safe, warm atmosphere of mother’s womb, the baby faces the
world for the first time. The baby is not yet adapted to the outside
environment. It takes some time to get adjusted to the external
conditions. During this phase the skin of the baby, which is very
delicate faces a few issues. The skin of the infant shows signs of
irritation in the form of rashes, redness and eruptions.

The skin infections in the infants are enough to make the parents
tense and anxious. Today in this blog, we will discuss about the
common skin infections seen in infants and use of homeopathy remedies .

SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS
AND CRADLE CAP

Cradle cap or
Seborrheic Dermatitis is characterized by formation of thick yellowish
or whitish greasy scales on the scalp of the infant. Sometimes it may
spread to ears and face also.Seborrhoeic dermatitis occurs in adult and infantile forms. In babies it
is often known as cradle cap because it affects the scalp, although it
may also affect the nappy area. The adult form usually affects the face
and scalp.

This condition is not contagious and it does not itch. Sometimes it
is mistaken for infantile eczema but the differentiating point between
the two is that the Infantile Eczema gives rise to itch while the Cradle
Cap is a non-itchy eruption.

Cradle Cap is generally a self limiting condition. Maintain good
scalp hygiene by washing the scalp with mild shampoo is recommended and
it is beneficial. One should consult the doctor if the condition worsens
and if the infection spreads to the nearby regions.

Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory scaling disease,
which causes flaking of the skin. It mainly affects those
parts of the skin which are rich in sebaceous glands like
the scalp, sides of the nose, eyebrows, eyelids, behind
the ears, groins etc…

The childhood version of this skin disorder is known as
cradle cap. This usually occurs in babies younger than 3
months.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis occurs more commonly in men than
in women and especially between the age of 30 to 60 years.

CAUSES SEBORRHOEIC DERMATITIS

Nobody knows for sure what causes this inflammatory disorder
of the skin. The cause could also be different in different
people. Most doctors believe that cradle cap occurs in babies
due to the hormonal effects passed from the mother to the
child. Seborrheic dermatitis is also linked with hormonal
changes.

Some doctors feel that that seborrhoea is caused by an organism
known as PITYROSPORUM OVALE infecting the sebaceous glands
in our skin. But it is not yet proven for sure.

This skin disorder can also occur due to other factors like
emotional or physical stress, certain illnesses, weather
changes etc….

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DANDRUFF AND SEBORRHEIC
DERMATITIS?

Dandruff of the scalp causes scaling of the skin without
redness whereas seborrheic dermatitis appears to have both
scaling along with redness of the scalp. This is common
in people who have oily skin or hair. Sometimes this is
also seen in people who have acne problems or psoriasis.

In severe dermatitis there may be yellow - red papules
along the hairline or behind the ears. The patient may even
have irritation on the conjunctiva due to the dermatitis.
But Seborrheic dermatitis does not cause hair loss.

IS THIS SKIN PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER DISEASES?

As stated earlier a person may develop this dermatitis
due to emotional or physical stress. A patient recovering
from a heart attack or heart surgery could develop this
skin inflammation. Patients suffering from some immune disorder
are also prone to this problem.

This skin disorder is also linked to certain types of nervous
system diseases like Parkinson's disease. How they are linked
we still don't know.

TREATMENT FOR SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS AND CRADLE CAP

Sometimes this seborrheic dermatitis may clear on its own
without any treatment but it can recur at any point in the
person's life again especially if it was caused by stress
in the first place. Most of the time the correct Homoeopathic
treatment is required to remove the inflammatory process
which is going on in the skin causing the scaling and redness.

There are several shampoos available in the market for this
disorder. However they are very temporary in action and
have a lot of chemicals that eventually damage the hair
roots and texture. Some physicians even prescribe certain
steroid based products like Hydrocortisone. Though this
will suppress the scaling and redness, it is not a cure
and has its own list of side-effects especially when used
on children.

The best way to treat seborrheic dermatitis and cradle
cap is the Homoeopathic way. In Homoeopathy we treat the
patient on the basis of his or her symptoms. The appearance
of the seborrheic dermatitis is also important. Taking all
these things into account we treat the patient as a whole
with the correct homoeopathic remedy. Here are a few remedies
which have proven extremely effective in this skin disorder.

MEZEREUM

This remedy is characterized by intense itching of the
skin and chilliness. The patient feels worse by the heat
of the bed. The skin itches and appears red. These eruptions
then become secondarily infected and form thick crusts with
pus underneath them. Warm water worsens the skin problems.
The skin swells after itching and becomes very painful.

This remedy is also very effective for children who suffer
from cradle cap and this type of skin disorder.

Mezereum will help clear
the skin up and remove this skin disorder.

KREOSOTE

This is another remedy used effectively in treating cases
of cradle cap and this kind of dermatitis. Here the itching
gets worse in the evening and at night. The areas affected
are mostly around the eyelids, face, folds of the joints.
These eruptions feel better by warmth contrary to the other
remedies. The skin appears dry, scaly and looks like eczema.
The Kreosote patient feels worse with cold water and bathing
and much better by warmth.

Kreosote will give great relief
and gradually cure this skin disorder.

RHUSTOX

This is another remedy where the patient says that he feels
better by warm water. Though there is intense itching and
redness the patient says that the itching reduces when he
applies hot water. Here the skin has a marked tendency to
form scales especially in the hairy parts of the body.

These individuals are worse when exposed to damp, cold weather.
They also complain of joint pains which are worse on initial
movement but better when moving constantly.

Rhustox will help not only
cure the skin but also the joint pains.

Infantile Eczema:

This is the most common skin
condition seen in infants. The Infantile Eczema presents itself with dry
and itchy skin mostly on the cheeks and fold of the joints.

Infantile eczema develops due to the
dryness of the skin. It gets worsened in winter as the skin becomes dry
in winter. Almost, all infants suffer from this condition and most of
the time Infantile Eczema is self limiting. It subsides once the baby is
adapted to the external environment. The doctor may advise to apply a
good quality baby moisturizer or baby oil on the skin to prevent the
dryness of the skin.some useful Homeopathy medicine for it Eczema is often linked with other allergic conditions so I like to
find out as much as possible about any other medical problems in the
child or his family and I also go into as much detail as possible about
the pregnancy, birth and early life of the child.The choice of homeopathic treatment is a wide one as there are many
remedies, which affect the skin, and a variety of treatment models which
can be used. One of the most successful ways is to prescribe the
constitutional remedy for the child, that is the remedy that fits the
overall person, not just the local skin symptoms. Examples of remedies
commonly used in this way include many well known homeopathic treatments
such as Sulphur, Calc carb and Arsenicum album.SulphurItchy, dry, red skin, especially in bed or after a bath. Scratching leads to burning and smarting.Rhus toxBlistered skin, particularly the wrists. Worse in damp conditions. Very itchy.PetroleumSkin erupts with yellow crusts. Worse at night.GraphitesSkin cracked and weepy.

Diaper rash:

It is a
kind of dermatitis characterized by formation of bright red rashes and
patches on the buttocks of the infant. It is caused by irritation of the
skin because of the soiled diaper or constant friction of the extremely
delicate skin with the cloth of the diaper. An infant suffering from
diaper rash may show irritability and crying especially while changing
the diaper. It is advisable to keep the bottoms of the baby dry and
putting loads of mild baby powder around the bottoms of the baby.
Sometimes, mother takes a long time in changing the soiled diaper. This
causes the delicate skin of the baby to come with contact with ammonia
gas produced by urine or harmful bacterias of stools of the baby.

It is advisable to change the diaper as soon as it is soiled by the
baby. If the diaper rash does not subside for many days and it starts
oozing out the pus, a pediatrician should be consulted without wasting
much time.

These are the five common skin infections seen in infants.Nappy
rash can interrupt the peaceful routine of an otherwise
carefree baby, and it won’t do much for your quality of
life, either. Babies have this knack for making their problems
your problems, and if your baby has nappy rash, you have
it too.

During
the first two to three years of life, just about every parent
on the planet gets a share of the nappy-rash experience,
thankfully nearly 50% of all nappy rashes go away by themselves
but what about the other 50% ? These can last longer or
even become more chronic. This rash starts in the groin
area but can also spread all over the body. It may occur
anywhere, where the skin comes in contact with bacteria.

DO
INFANTS HAVE SKIN BACTERIA LIKE US ADULTS?

The
skin of babies delivered by caesarian section is sterile
at birth, but it begins to pick up micro-organisms immediately.
The skin of babies born in the usual way acquires skin bacteria
even earlier, during the very process of birth. Bacteria
are always present in the mother’s birth canal, and some
of them inevitably rub off on the infant.

Some
micro-organisms, are transferred to an infant’s skin by
the simple act of touching or holding with dirty hands.
Infected or dirty bed linen or unhygienic conditions in
hospital and home; like using used towels, hair brush, comb,
clothes not washed properly all contribute to the rash.
An infants skin is very fine and delicate and it tends to
catch infection very fast.

SIGNS,
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENT

Initially
a tiny acne rash appears on the part which is primarily
infected. They look like small prickly heat type of rash
which may disappear by cleaning the infant regularly. At
times this rash refuses to disappear on its own and since
the parents are very anxious about it they immediately start
applying local chemical skin medicines. Certain infants
respond to this treatment and the rash might disappear or
might get temporarily suppressed, to come back again as
soon as local applications are stopped.

VARIOUS
REACTIONS OF THE SKIN:

Now
plenty of things can happen when nappy rash is treated by
local chemical medicines or strong internal medicines.

The
rash may disappear for good.

The
rash may be temporarily suppressed to come back again
with the same intensity or more.

Rash
may not disappear but the infant as a whole will react
badly to this therapy and develop more rash.

The
rash will disappear, but some other ailments like cough,
cold, diarrhoea and vomiting might develop. This in homoeopathic
language is called suppression.

Experience
has shown us that time and again nappy rash if suppressed
turns into a chronic rash creating a lot of problems for
the child.

ALTERNATE
TREATMENT:

As
we all know an infant’s skin as well as his body is so delicate
that strong medicines like antibiotics should be avoided
for the first few months of the infant’s life. Homoeopathic
medicines have worked very well in skin conditions and children
react to them most favourably.

SOME
TIPS:

Give
it some air –

The
oldest advice is sometimes still the best. Give your baby’s
bottom some air", says Ann Price, educational co-ordinator
for the National Academy of Nannies, Inc., in Denver,
Colorado. Simply take the baby’s diaper off and lay him
on his chest, with the face turned to one side and on
towels underlaid with a waterproof sheet. Leave your baby
that way for as long as you’re there to keep an eye on
him. Air helps in the natural breathing and healing of
the skin.

Blow-dry
your baby –

Keeping
the diaper area clean and dry promotes healing but drying
with a towel can irritate sensitive skin. Try a blow dryer.
Dry the area with a hair dryer set on ‘low’ which avoids
abrasion to wet skin.

Give
the cloth nappy a vinegar rinse –

Adding
vinegar to the final rinse when washing a nappy will bring
the pH of the cloth nappy into line with that of the baby’s
skin. It has been noticed that nappy rash enzymes are
most active in a high pH environment, which often exist
in a cloth nappy after washing. Add 1 ounce of vinegar
to about 3 ½ liters of water during the final rinse.

PRICKLY
HEAT TYPE RASH:

Initially
the rash appears like one or two small red pimples. They
are spread all over the body or in the groins. If the pimples
are due to local infection give a few doses of "BELLADONNA Within a few days the pimples
will disappear.

If
the pimples came in clusters then give "ARNICA

Some
infants have a dry rough looking skin with rash on any part
of the body and the child feels very uncomfortable and keeps
on crying, specially so when bathed. He feels comfortable
in a cool room. His palms, feet and head are very warm to
touch. "SULPHUR IODIDE 6",

RHUS TOX " - When there are multiple water
blisters in the groins, in between the toes, fingers, elbow
and behind the knees. The child is extremely restless because
of severe itching. The child keeps quiet only when gentle
rubbing is done with a thin cloth on the affected area.
This remedy is very helpful if the eruptions are due to
letting the child remain in wet nappies for a long period
of time. Rhus Tox till the
rash disappear

WHEN
ASSOCIATED WITH RASH ON SCALP:

Initially
a few scaly eruptions appear, surrounded by small vesicles
which cause a lot of burning and itching making the child
very uncomfortable and cranky. If not treated correctly
they multiply very fast. The hair gets entangled due to
thick discharge from the eruptions. After a week or so a
crust is formed on the scalp beneath which there is pus.
Due to pus there might be fever. "MEZEREUM 30", 5 pills
four times a day will help. If the condition s not treated
soon then child might develop a few glands in the back of
his neck and hair loss also take place.

Milia:

This is another very common skin condition
seen in the newborn babies. Milia is characterized by very tiny, white
elevations on the skin mostly around the nose, chin and cheeks. Milia is
a self limiting condition and do not require any treatment. Washing the
baby’s face with warm water and mild soap is recommended to prevent the
secondary infections.Homeopathy can get rid you easily with THUJA ,NIT ACID ,ANT CRUD.

Oral Thrush:

Oral thrush is also called as Oral
Candidasis. It presents itself in the form of whitish or creamy patch
inside the oral cavity of the infant. It may be seen on the tongue,
inner side of the cheeks and palate of the baby. Oral Thrush is a type
of a fungal infection. It is a very common condition seen in infants.

Due
to Oral Thrush the baby is unable to swallow the milk and this
may lead to refusal of feeds. It is advisable to consult the doctor for
the treatment of Oral Thrush.Homeopathy has best approch i had seen many
cases let me tell you Merc COR and Merc Sol Single doses can get rid
you with oral thrus,